Hussein Qualifies for NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships; Third Retriever Ever to Reach National Meet

INDIANAPOLIS – UMBC junior
swimmer Mohamed
Hussein (Cairo, Egypt/Victory College) has qualified for
the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, becoming the third
Retriever to ever reach the national meet, the NCAA announced on
Wednesday afternoon.

Hussein becomes the first member of the men's swimming and
diving program to reach the NCAA Championships after Jackie
Wisnauskas and Lindsey
Prather reached the championships for the Retrievers
in 1990 and 2002, respectively.

"Since 1986, UMBC and UMBC athletics have supported our swimming
and diving team. The team was first coached by Sid Burkot and
then I followed," said current head coach Chad
Cradock. "We as a program have broken many records,
had undefeated seasons, won numerous championships, had Olympians
and had two women's NCAA qualifiers. We have never had a male
make the meet, until now."

The versatile junior advances to the national meet to compete in
the 200 IM (1:44.60), 200 free (1:36.83), and 200 backstroke events
(1:45.23). Hussein holds the school record in each of
these disciplines, breaking each mark during the 2012-13
season. In addition, he set the UMBC Aquatic Complex
mark in the 200 IM (1:51.92) during the Retrievers' meet with
Howard on Nov. 10.

After bursting onto the scene in the spring of 2012 as a
transfer, Hussein replicated and pushed past his previous success
as a junior. The Cairo, Egypt native won three
individual gold medals, set four school records, and broke three
meet and conference records at the America East Championships in
February, en route to being named the conference's Most Outstanding
Swimmer for the second-straight year.

Then, two weeks later at the ECAC Championships at Harvard,
Hussein broke his own school marks in the 200 IM and 200 back, as
well as setting new UMBC-bests in the 50 (20.33) and 100 free
(43.86). The junior won both the 200 events, in addition
to leading the 400 free relay team to a new school record and NCAA
consideration time.

"I am so proud of our program and thank the many coaches over
the years, our administration (school and Athletics) that supports
our program day in and out, our amazing alumni who have built the
foundation of this program, and our current team members who have
pushed each other to be better and stronger student-athletes," said
Cradock. "We would not have made it here without all of
you. Lastly Mohamed; I thank him for bringing his very best
to our program each and every day. We are so proud of him for
helping us bring our program to a new level. We are looking
forward to our trip to Indy and know that he will give us his very
best at the 2013 NCAA Championships."

The 2013 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships will be
held March 28-30 at the IU Natatorium on the campus of Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The
meet will being on Thursday, March 28 at 11:00 a.m. with the trials
for the 200 free relay, 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 400
medley relay and 1-meter diving competition. The finals
for each event will be conducted during the evening session,
beginning at 7:00 p.m.